February 25, 2019 Mr. Jon Wilner, Sports Department Mercury News 4 North Second Street Suite 800 San Jose, CA 95113 Dear Sir: Enclosed is a copy of a confidential letter we sent to both David Coleman and Larry Scott expressing our concerns as to the state of PAC-12 football officiating. It was received at the conference office on January 3". We have received an acknowledgement of receipt and a promise for a response. None has been forthcoming. We are hopeful that you will read it and view our sincere concerns. Our purpose is to make sure that it is not swept under the rug and it is presented to the Sibson Firm. As you can see, we simply want our issues to be considered and a restoration of the quality of the program. Respectfully, Fred Gallagher Line Judge, Replay Official (1975-2018) Mack Gilchrist Field Judge Replay Communicator (1978-2017) Chuck Czubin Line Judge Replay Communicator (1973-2018)Mr. David Coleman, Vice President of Officiating Mr. Larry Scott, Gommissioner of the Pacific-12 Conferenos Dear Sirs: “The following comments to each of you are intended to hopefully and quickly improve the Pac-12 Conference Officiating Program to the level which we were accustomed, ‘These are our honest views on ‘multiple issues within the Pac-12 Conference, both an the field and in the replay booth. We do not appreciate the direction this Conference is headed under your direction by disgracing its long and heritage. Just look at what the NCAA Bow! Committee sent this Conference for the 2018/10 season, Itis complete disrespect with the National Championship and Semi Final games available. This is probably an omen of the future unless changes are made. Your Conference received none...fimm, wonder {tis our profound hope that aach of you wil indeed read and respond back to us on these real issues. We do not speak for anyone other than ourselves, hhowever we do know, without question, these thoughts and “directions are consistently felt throughout the Officiating program from both on the fiald and in IR. We as reties's, of what was once a quality and elite Officiating program that has now become the laughing stock ‘of the power 5 Conferences and throughout the entire nation, are asking for necessary changes in positive manner. Lets start with the Woodie Dixon incident: Mr Scott, you know from personal experience this is not the first time he has fer overstepped his bounds, reference the former Supervisor of Officials. Woodie singled-handedly caused the exit of the former, ‘Supervisor of Officials, and itis well known that several years ago he wanted to fire the gentloman who Is now your Replay Supervisor. After the latest incident there is no question the Conference was fat more ‘concerned about covering this up and finding the source of the info, rather than dealing with Woodie. You did 80 by removing a very valuable training too! for IR (namely QUIK REF). in your blind and bumbled f@pproach you hid our reports end grades. This information had previously been transaarent, which allowed IR to confer within itself, By taking this valuable training toot eway you struck a blow againet your I folks, inetead of dropping the hammer on Woodie you dropped it on IR. Without the narrative by the involved JRO the make-shift replay tapes that followed were absolutely a waste of time and effort. Bow! Assignments: ‘David you stated the Conference Championship Officials will be the #1’s. To date, this has not been the case, This season was just another mss. ‘The U who was rewarded with the Conference Championship game and a bow! assignment graded near the bottom this season, end has been in the bottom since his. ‘entrance to the Gonference...and another U who was in the bottom was also rewarded with a bow! assignmeni...while two of the top U's are staying home because they don't look as good!!! Maybe, in your _Trind they dor‘, but do you want Umpires wo know and execute thelr job, wis grade cut in the fop sitting at home because they don’t look as good? ‘What message are you sending to those two low graded umpires? “That they are doing fine because they received a baw! assignment thoy believe they eamed... nonsense! Officials Development program Eliminate the Official Development Program. This only weakens our program. The program is okey for the NFL, but not for a Power § Conference. Itis a failed experiment that has cost the Conference money. The Conference has neither the maney nor the exhibition games to make this work! it has maved only one person into replay and ne one to the field, while several from ‘outside’ have been hired. You have permitted them to repeated fal the IR exam, year in and year out, with no new faces. While these hires are hice people, they have no allegiance to the Gonference; they are simply picking up @ paycheck. “The Pact42 needs to hire experienced and quallly officials. There are ample quality officials in the footprint of the Pao-12 Conference, and from Conferences like the Mountain West, Big-12, and Big Sky. There is no heed to go to the East Coast fo pick up officiis who ‘need a break’. Get an official from the ACC, AAC, or SEC and itwill open a position for them in their area,Diversity is part of the Conference agenda, and this is great. However, the additional officials the past four years have been mediocre at best. We recommend that you contact Conference area official Units for recommendations in thelr area-only if you want quay officials. Position Supervisors: ‘As was the case with the previous administration (NFL personne), the supervisors need fo be mentors and teachers, as well as graders. Easily half of your present complement of supervisors do not mest this Fequirement, and only ong excels at it. The presant groups are not well versed in NCAA rules end mechanics. Their time away from active officiating on the field only heightens this issue. There is an Issue with consistency that leads to a breakdown of morale. In particular, a LOS supervisor has twice caused ‘embarrassment to the Conference by using profane end demeaning language to one of his officials. He summed up his philosophy with “don't write any of that lite shit up, for if you do, then | have to look at it ‘and answer you". He is @ cancer to the program. With all of thase issues, itis not surprising there ia very Ite growth and improvement, and there is a growing morale issue among the officials. ‘Our Focus: Consistency Accountability Communications Transparency Consistency: ‘They ali sound great, but this Conference is consistently inconsistent....starting with the lack of ‘accountability in disciplining its own administrative staff. Next, come the rules on the field and in the replay booth that always seem to be reactive rather than proactive. How the rules are to be interpreted changes. weekly and that is not good for morale and consistency. Accountability: We have only to go back to Mr Dixon to demonstrate thet their is no accountability for the Administration. ‘This is followed closely by the Line of Scrimmage supervisor incidents, Communications: ‘Another blow to Replay came on 41/15/18 duting a Conference call between David, all Instant Replay Officials and Referees. David, that night your new protocols for the Command Center took ail the rights of {the IRO in the booth ( as spelied out by the NCAA IR Rules ) and threw them aut the window. There was, of course, n9 discussion nor explanation, just your reading the new page in the Replay Manual, of which We never raceived a copy to put into our 201 Manual (last one we saw). David a question please, would giving us a heads up, to allow us to be somewhat prepared, have heen a reasonable thought? Of course there was no discussion since we had no idea what you were about to thrust upon us, and on your behalf it Was thrust. | certainly hope that the page you read from is sant out to the staf sinca itis part of our ‘manual. ‘That night showed us just how terible the Administration of the Football Program has stooped «nd fallen. There is no such thing as collaboration any longer in your Conference. itis simply what the CC says. You are, of course, going to natty the NCAA. i'm eure the media and press will have 2 Feld day Sonsidering that ey have consistently heen tld Replay decisions are made atthe game ste, NOT inthe Command Center. ‘Transparency: All of the above are extremely transparent when you see them from within, but that is not transparency. ‘The program and the Administration are far, far away from transparency. preonm cosr orn yy Ny. . cL ailigr Mack Gilchrist Fak —